As you come in our front door, you see a glass-doored cabinet. Throughout the year it contains special family photos and memorabilia.

Before the holidays, I remove those items so that I can display special Christmas pieces in that cabinet for the season. I try to take pictures before Christmas each year so that I can remember how everything was placed when I get ready to put everything back.

In early December, 2012, I opened the doors to take the pictures, including this one of the bottom shelf of the unit which has my Wife of Bath, a halltree and some small etageres with jewelry, hats and perfume trays. On the left is a small study display, which contains some special pieces, including several from my dear friend and professional miniaturist Alice Zinn; all in her sales line.

I was reminded recently when I looked through those pictures again that I had never shown some of those items, other than The Wife of Bath, on my website.

This year - 2013 - is Alice's 37th anniversary as a professional miniaturist. Imagine that! What creativity and craftsmanship she has shared with the world in that time.

I purchased my first Alice Zinn miniatures from a shop in Lubbock, TX, back in the 80s, and never dreamed that we would someday become friends.

Although we had "met" online through our miniatures groups, Alice and Dawn Weaver first stopped by to actually meet me and my husband in person on their way home from CIMTA in Las Vegas in late January of 2002. (Ha! that was before I quit putting a rinse on my hair. lol)

And Alice and Lorraine Heller, another close friend, have stopped by almost every year since then - something I have looked forward to all year. These talented, wonderful women have beome family to me.

I wanted to showcase some special family pieces that I ordered from Alice, and created a small grouping in a display case that I purchased at Michaels. Since I had done a series of desks and small bookcases containing some of the miniature books I make, a study seemed a natural fit for these items.

I wish I could recall where I got that vase, but I love it. It is closer in color to the greens in the throw than this picture indicates.

I purchased that zebra table from Alice at Tom Bishop's Chicago International in 2010.

The Family Tree throw was a special order, and contains all the names of our immediate family - my husband and I, our two children and their spouses, and our six grandchildren. It came flat, and I covered my leather chair with plastic wrap before I spread a thin coat of Tacky glue on the back of the throw and arranged the folds so that all the names would show. After it dried thoroughly, I removed the plastic, and the throw fits perfectly in the chair. And you can see all the names in real life, if you look closely, turning your head this way and that.

I don't know how many settings this plate of Orios has appeared in over the years. I just love those cookies that I made so many years ago.

I have had this little wooden book holder since the early 80s. Those are some of my Wanna Books.

This lamp, one of two, was a gift from my friend Michele when she was downsizing her minis collections. I made the butterfly display frame back in the days of our mini club.

The desk and chair are Bombay furniture pieces. The rug is a small piece of upholstery fabric. I have had that wastebasket since the 80s, and the globe and stand, as well.

The black leather book on the desk has a raised face in the center of the front cover similar to this book.

It was an exchange gift from Barbara Brear of South Africa after I wrote a story to accompany the second book she created for a special sale. You can read the story of The Accidental Character here.

The collection of carved canes was a purchase from The Smithsonian when they sold miniatures. The silk pillow in the chair is a purchase from Wendy Smale. Oops, I messed up the corner of the rug.

Wendy's pillow has weighted tassels which droop exactly like the real thing!

This is a Robert Olszewski figure which I purchased on Ebay.

And I got wonderful doubletakes and broad grins when different family members first spotted this pillow that Alice made - since my grandchildren call me Nana! They still like to peek in and find their names on the throw and smile at this pillow.

This is one of those special little vignettes that make me smile when I see it, and it has been received very affectionately by my family.